Heating-case for fruit-jars



(No Model.) I A. ROBINSON.

HEATING CASE FOR FRUIT JARS. V

No. 277,944.. I Patented May 22,1883.

UMTIED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALMON ROBINSON,OF LEWISTO N, MAINE.

HEATING-CASE FOR FRUIT-JARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 277,944, dated May 22, 1883.

Application filed October 528, 1882. (No model.) 7

To all whom it mag concern Be it known that I, ALMON RoBINsoN, of Lewiston, in the county of Androscoggin and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Heating JarsofFruit; andIdoherebydeclarethefollowin g to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to make and use it, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improved heating-case for fruit-jars.

Heretofore the various devices used for heat ing the ordinary self-sealing fruit-jars for the purpose of destroying the ferment-germs in the food substances contained therein have been designed to heat several jars at one time, andwhen it has not been desirable to heat at once the exact number intended their use has been inconvenient.

The object of my invention is' to provide a heating-case fitted to each single jar, thereby making it equally convenient to heat any desired number of jars, from one to the largest number that can be placed upon the hot-plate of the stove or range; and, further, to construct the said case in such a form and with such a combination of parts thatit shall take up as little space as possible upon the hotplate of the stove or range; also, to provide a heating-case for fruit-jars of such a construction that when two or more of them are used together radiation of heat from the sides shall be reduced to a minimum.

. My invention consists, first, of a metallic heating-case for single fruit-jars,conforming in size and proportions to the particular kind of jar which it is intended to contain, which said case is divided into two parts-a lower part, intended to contain a suitable amount of water, with which part is combined a support for the jar, and an upper part, intended to collect around the upper part of the jar vapor from. the hot water.-

My invention further consists in a combination, with aheating-casefor fruit-jars, separable into an upper and a lower part, of'a supportingpiece for the contained jar, formed from a single piece of metal by means of such a combination of corrugations and perforations that said ears to internal angles of the lower part of the case, and in giving them such a form that they serve as supports for the upper part of the case, and also help to control the movements of the water and steam.

My invention further consists of a heatingcase for single fruit-jars, of such a form and such a combination of parts that when used in combination with others of the same kind and size it will come into close contactwith them upon all sides.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is aview in elevation of my improved heatingcase, in which one side is removed to show the interior and the contained jar D. Fig. 2 is a plan view; Fig. 3, asection of the bail ear and supporting-piece. Fig. 4 is aview of the blank from which said bail-ear and supporting-piece are formed by bending at the dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section just above the supporting-piece for the jar, which it is especially intended to show. Fig. 6 is a section of the supporting-piece through the line m z of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a section through 09g of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing four of my improved heating-cases arranged in close contact. I

D represents a self-sealing fruit-jar of any of the varieties in common use.

A is a metallic box, open at the top. Its horizontal section is a square. Resting upon the bottom of A is the piece B, a rectangular piece of sheet metal perforated at or near its center, corrugated in two directions at right angles to the sides in such a manner as to divide it into four equal parts whose surfaces slant downward toward the center, and whose outer angles curve upward more abruptly. This piece B forms a firm support for the jar, and causes a steady current in the heated water from the center outward and upward below the piece and downward and inward above it,

thus preventing steam from accumulating in large bubbles. E in Fig. 4 represents one of two pieces of sheet metal. They are perforated at their upper ends, and bent in reverse directions at the two dotted lines until they have the crosssection shown in Fig. 3. They are then soldered into two oppositeinternal angles, 'A, at such height that the perforations in the upper ends come just above the top of A. Through these perforations passes the bail H. Upon these pieces E E rests the bottomless metallic box 0, which forms the upper part of my improved case. The angles adjoining the pieces E E are truncated in order to leave room for the bail H. One or more perforations are made in thepart G for the escape of surplus steam. The part O is of such proportional depth that when it is removed the jar D will project above thelower pa rt, A, to such a height that it maybe readily closed and unclosed.

'hen inyimproved heating-caseis to he used the jar D is placed upon the supporting-piece B in the lower part, A, of the case. The part A is then filled nearly full of water and the part 0 is slipped into the part A until it rests upon the pieces E E. The case, with its contents, is next placed upon the hot-plate'ol' a stove or range. The regular currents of heated water caused by the corrugations and flexions ofthe pieceB, flow upward around the jar, and carry with them the vapor formed, into the upper part, 0, of the case. The lower parts of the pieces E E deflect the currents within the truncated angles of the part (1 and prevent the water from being thrown out when boiling violently. If it should be necessary to add more water, it is poured into one of the triangular funnels formed by the pieces E and the angles of the lower part, A, of the case.

I am aware that there are in use different 0 forms of hot-water and vapor baths or heaters for other purposes and I do notclaim as part of my invention any device which is not especially adapted for heating single jars of fruit or other food substance.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a heating-case for singlefruit-jars, separable into an upper and a lower part,the combination of an upper part having opposite angles truncated, substantially as and for the purpose shown, with a lower part having supporting pieces attached to corresponding internal angles, all as set forth. 7

2. In a heating-case for single fruit-jars, a

supporting-piece for the contained jar, formed from a single piece of sheet metal, and having a perforation at or near its center, and corrugations radiating therefrom, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The pieces E E,formedfrom singlepicces of metal in the manner explained, and combined with the lower part, A, the upper part, 0, and the bail H, substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination of the metallic box A, open at top, the bottomless box (J, the supporting-piece 13, the pieces E E, and bail H, when the same are combined to-form a heating-case for fruit-jars, substantially as setl'orth.

ALMON ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

C. E. NoR'roN, G. E. MGKENNEY. 

